The S.O.V. Blues: Dreamaniac

Why is this chick bald? There are no baldies present in the film. Strongly resembles Clint Howard.

A Satanic, heavy metal enthusiast makes a deal with a succubus that grants him success in exchange for his friend’s lives.

Part of the “Too Gory for the Silver Screen” line for Charles Band’s Wizard Video collection that he now bootlegs and sells overpriced for collectors that do not know any better. New World assistant David DeCoteau became a staple in the B-Movie world with titles like; (Creepozoids, Soroity Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama, Nightmare Sisters, Puppet Master III, and many more.) DeCoteau’s debut feature film was the 1986 shot on video sorority slasher Dreamaniac aka A Nightmare on Elm Street rip-off. A film that makes Troll 2 look like cinematic gold. Even the tagline “You don’t have to live on Elm Street to have a nightmare,” suggests that they were hoping to float the successful Freddy coattails.

I could prose enthusiastically for the opening credits with that thrilling 80s keyboarding and inadequate editing equipment but these credits seemed never-ending and I just want to forget about it.

We meet a nude Adam (Thomas Bern,) a heavy metal lyricist (LOL) who dabbles in Satanic rituals when he’s not too busy beating off to blood-soaked naked women, using his Def Leppard t-shirt as a cum rag. Lily is a mediocre succubus who Adam plucks from dream world to real world. I have no idea why because his actual girlfriend Pat (Kim McKamyshe who is also known as Ashlyn Gere in porn world) is a total babe and makes Lily look like a walrus. Girlfriend Pat thinks reclusive Adam could use a little social interaction and what better way to socialize than to invite your sorority sisters! This is where we meet a batch of colorful, stereotypical characters.

Pat is such a likeable character. Not only does she have style, she’s happy to put this pink sweater wearing (Is she wearing a snuggy?) diva in her place, “Oh you’re Francis! I thought I recognized you from the small tits.” Brr! It’s cold in here. There must be some Toros in the atmosphere. Wait, this girl is in your sorority and you are just now crossing paths?

The Valley Girls

“Sorry to interrupt kissy face but like… Where’s the phone?”

“There isn’t one.”

“Like, that’s a joke right? I mean, what if I have to call my broker? Mondo BAD planning Jody.” Alright, this chick needs to die already and more importantly, what dip shit doesn’t have a phone in their house? This is 1986.

This fucking guy….

Speaking of people who need to die, I would like to introduce you to the most annoying character in a horror movie history. “Just wanted to scare ya!” He fails miserably at party pranks and continues to make the same creeper face over and over again by gritting his teeth and smiling like it’s some form of Tourette’s. Seriously, fucking stop doing that! He also takes a million years to roll up a dollar bill for a dance with Snow White before sneezing all over it in true Woody Allen fashion. What is this dude, like 36?

***SPOILERS BELOW***

Moving on, this Lily succubus goes on a killing spree and Pat becomes our heroine. We discover Lily is just a basic crazy bitch. So if Lily is a basic loon then how do you explain Adam’s behavior? This is followed by a second twist. The direction of this film is so misguided. It’s all a plot recited by some screen writer on the phone. This is followed by a knock at the door revealing the succubus who attacks the screen writer. The end. Fuck this movie.

There’s an abundance of gore and great use of a power drill. The quality may be shit but the effects are pleasing. Though the dialogue is a hoot and there’s plenty of sex and gore, it does get tiresome. I was ready for this movie to end by the opening credits. Dreamaniac has nothing to do with dreaming. There are two dream sequences but who is counting? I don’t think I need to convey my assessment for the synthetic acting so I will leave that open for your imagination.

Pros: The playful dialogue, 80s fashion and Ashlyn Gere. There’s also an abundance of naked dudes and dudes in their underwear. DeCoteau actually is gay. He claimed in an interview that interviewers ask him about the strong, homo-erotic over tones all the time but he’s no kiddy fiddler like Victor Salva. Unlike Clownhouse, these half-naked males are of age.